Catalytic reaction in confined flow channel

United States Patent

A chemical reactor comprises a flow channel, a source, and a destination. The flow channel is configured to house at least one catalytic reaction converting at least a portion of a first nanofluid entering the channel into a second nanofluid exiting the channel. The flow channel includes at least one turbulating flow channel element disposed axially along at least a portion of the flow channel. A plurality of catalytic nanoparticles is dispersed in the first nanofluid and configured to catalytically react the at least one first chemical reactant into the at least one second chemical reaction product in the flow channel.

STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST
This invention was made with government support under Contract No. DE-FC36-09GO19006 awarded the Department of Energy. The government has certain rights in the invention.